How to Create a bootable USB drive

MIAHALLEN · Dec 29, 2009

What tool do you guys use to create bootable thumb-drives?

For booting DOS only [freeware]:
ANSWER - HP USB Format Tool
Win 98 DOS Files to create boot disk
http://www.wintobootic.com/

For making a multiboot disk [licensed software]
In February of 2017 while teaching a CompTIA A+ course, I decided to build a "PC Technician Toolkit" USB drive for my students. After doing a bit of research about how to make a drive to fulfill the following requirements, I discovered SARDU, bought the $10 license and have not regretted it one iota. This is a fantastic program and allowed me to create a very powerful bootable thumbdrive with the following capabilities:

Boot into UBCD for pre-OS troubleshooting utilities and BIOS/FIRMWARE flashing
Boot into multiple live Linux distros with persistence
Boot multiple Windows Installation .iso's
Use the remaining space for utility/software storage space accessible by any OS

KonaKona · Dec 29, 2009

Uh, something about copying the boot files from your regular hard drive, I think. Look up installing DSL on a thumb drive, that should have all the information.

Also, bake the SSD in the oven.

icebob · Dec 29, 2009

Here Miah

usb boot stick

Mr.Guvernment · Dec 29, 2009

google is the answer, tons of ways to do it. HP has a nice tool that can do it, cant find it right now though

http://www.google.co.cr/search?q=cr...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

El<(')>Maxi · Dec 29, 2009

Make sure you set the USB drive first in the HD boot order

rdrash · Dec 29, 2009

Hey Miah,

Had the same issue a few weeks/months (don't recall exactly) ago. I could not create a bootable thumb drive in Win 7. So ... I just used an old hardrive and put WINXP on it...from there I created thumbdrive without issue.

OFF TOPIC: MARK!!!!! Great to see you brother

Deanzo · Dec 29, 2009

Also, HPTool will not make it on it's own, you will need to download the files if you don't already have them (thats if you don't have a floppy drive and Win98 start up disk)

turbohans · Dec 29, 2009

well i format it in FAT32 then copy some hidden files and an OS. Kinda depends on what OS were talkin' about though. A windows usb boot disk from an .iso is pretty much as simple as extracting the .iso to the usb and then if needed running a command prompt string to make sure it has the bootfile there. Ancient technoligy really.
A linux live usb is kinda tricky if you want the redundancy file,, pretty much can only be done with a distro's usb startup creator and an .iso.
but if you wanna run linux live without the abilitys to save changes and new programs but be able to install; just expand an .iso to a usb. expanding your iso can be done with Winrar,, just format it fat32 first.

The SSD though man im sorry,, havnt touched one,, but looking at my dead piece or ram sitting on my desk that i have baked and froze LOL (still isn't the answer in your case i think)
I would deffinitly try that piece on at least a diffrent OS if not a diffrent computer before baking it LOL :beer:

Mr.Guvernment said:
google is the answer[/url]

uhhh, This shows up on google too, and if everyone says that google is the answer everywhere you search,, what good does it do?!?!?! sorry man, thats a pet peve of mine.

MIAHALLEN · Dec 29, 2009

icebob said:
Here Miah

usb boot stick

Thank God for Bob!

Exactly what I needed sir :salute:

Deanzo said:
Also, HPTool will not make it on it's own, you will need to download the files if you don't already have them (thats if you don't have a floppy drive and Win98 start up disk)

This is what I was missing...Bob's link also provided a link ot the '98 files

El<(')>Maxi said:
Make sure you set the USB drive first in the HD boot order

HAHA MArk

rdrash said:
Hey Miah,

Had the same issue a few weeks/months (don't recall exactly) ago. I could not create a bootable thumb drive in Win 7. So ... I just used an old hardrive and put WINXP on it...from there I created thumbdrive without issue.

OFF TOPIC: MARK!!!!! Great to see you brother

I've been using a Virtual box with XP on it

icebob · Dec 29, 2009

now label that stick as bootable and use it to flash everything

MIAHALLEN · Dec 29, 2009

That's the plan Bob...working like a charm, thanks! :beer:

icebob · Dec 29, 2009

You're welcome dude!!!

baditude_df · Dec 29, 2009

icebob said:
now label that stick as bootable and use it to flash everything

That's good advice. That's exactly what I do. I have the boot files, ATI flash and a bios directory and that's it. Other than that this memory stick doesn't get touched. After spending a day figuring out how to set it all up, I don't want anything to happen to it. :bday:

mgoode · Dec 29, 2009

Same here I flash everything of my usb disk Graphic cards, motherboards,SSDs.

Glad you got it all worked out Miah!!

MIAHALLEN · Dec 30, 2009

Thanks for all the help guys...now I'm just p!$$ed off that I waited so long to ask you guys :screwy:

Mr.Guvernment · Jan 4, 2010

turbohans said:
uhhh, This shows up on google too, and if everyone says that google is the answer everywhere you search,, what good does it do?!?!?! sorry man, thats a pet peve of mine.

I say this because %99 of the time a search on google will give you answers much faster then a forum, links that people on forums often just search for a link to anyways.

mattspalace · Jan 4, 2010

Heh, yep it's a PITA the first time, so label it and you won't have to do it again.

Too bad you can't just right click on the USB drive, click format, then have a radio button to click to "make bootable". That would be too easy of course.

MIAHALLEN · Jan 4, 2010

Mr.Guvernment said:
google is the answer, tons of ways to do it. HP has a nice tool that can do it, cant find it right now though

http://www.google.co.cr/search?q=cr...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Mr.Guvernment said:
I say this because %99 of the time a search on google will give you answers much faster then a forum, links that people on forums often just search for a link to anyways.

While I can appriceate the concept...telling me to check google in this case is the wrong answer. I searched many times on google and found many methods to accomplish the task...BUT, my question was not "how to"...my question was "how do you?"... get it?

Mr.Guvernment · Jan 4, 2010

I get it for sure, what forums are for, when you cant find the answer on google or something specific you ask on OCForums, i guess cause i have done it a few times i know what results to view on google with out having to click on the sites that have half arsed guide s

baditude_df · Jan 4, 2010

I figured out the formatting myself using google. It was a PITA and not really intuitive, but I figured it out eventually. However, actually flashing the BIOS on my 4870 was eluding me. It wasn't until I got some free advice from mgoode after buying my 2nd 4870 from him that I finally got it working.
I definitely think both have their merits, and I really like to figure things out for myself, but sometimes(as in this case) you just need to break down and ask for some advice.

How to Create a bootable USB drive

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